Honoring President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
Floor Speech
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Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
On behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am proud to present House Resolution 736 for consideration. This resolution pays tribute to the historic Gettysburg Address delivered by President Abraham Lincoln in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on November 19, 1863.
House Resolution 736 was introduced on September 10, 2009, by my great friend and colleague, Representative TODD PLATTS, Republican of the 19th District of Pennsylvania. In addition, this resolution was favorably reported out of the Oversight Committee by unanimous consent on October 29, 2009, and enjoys the support of over 50 Members of Congress.
Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 736 honors one of the most remarkable and significant political contributions in terms of speeches made by one of our greatest Presidents, the Gettysburg Address delivered by President Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, November 19, 1863. This resolution is not only fitting but also timely, as earlier this year we celebrated the bicentennial anniversary of the birth of President Lincoln, and on November 19 we will mark the 146th anniversary of Dedication Day and the Gettysburg Address.
In his invitation letter to President Lincoln, dated November 2, 1863, Gettysburg attorney David Wills requested that President Lincoln participate in the dedication ceremony by delivering ``a few appropriate remarks,'' as Wills noted that former Senator Edward Everett of Massachusetts was already scheduled to deliver the central oration. Accordingly, the dedication address delivered by President Lincoln more than 4 months following the pivotal battle of Gettysburg is not remembered for its length, but rather for the depth of its content.
In less than 3 minutes and in only 10 sentences, President Lincoln eloquently commemorated the lives of those who had fallen on the hallowed battlefield, reaffirmed the founding principles of the then-divided United States of America, and set forth the impetus behind the continuation of the shared struggle to unify the Nation amidst a deadly Civil War.
As noted by President Lincoln at the conclusion his historic address: ``It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus so far nobly advanced ..... that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this Nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from this Earth.''
The elegance of President Lincoln's brief words was noted by Senator Everett, whose oration at Gettysburg preceded the President's address and lasted approximately 2 hours. In a letter that he sent to President Lincoln following the dedication ceremony, Senator Everett wrote: ``I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in 2 hours as you did in 2 minutes.''
And the profound impact of President Lincoln's address on our national history has been evident for generations. In addition to its prominence on the south wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the Gettysburg Address has served as a timeless source of inspiration in our eternal commitment as a Nation to achieve equality among all citizens. Notably, President Lincoln's address was referenced in the equally historic ``I Have a Dream'' speech delivered by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August of 1963.
Mr. Speaker, in acknowledgement of the lasting impact of President Lincoln's words, the 79th Congress approved House Joint Resolution 35 on August 7, 1946, thereby designating the day of November 19 as Dedication Day. The 79th Congress additionally characterized the Gettysburg Address as ``the outstanding classic of the ages'' and recognized that ``it will touch the hearts of men and inspire faith in our matchless democracy as long as time endures.''
Mr. Speaker, let us pay further tribute to President Lincoln in the year of his bicentennial birthday celebration and in anticipation of the 146th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address through our support of Representative TODD PLATTS of Pennsylvania's resolution, 736.
I would like to thank my colleague Mr. Platts for introducing this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that the current resolution is offered by my dear friend and colleague who happens to be a Republican; so if I did not extend him the courtesy, Mr. Platts of Pennsylvania, to offer this resolution, I think it would not comport to the level of courtesy that this House requires.
I do want to point out that of the last seven resolutions that we have taken up in the House today, five out of the seven were offered by Republican Members: Senate 475 by Senator Burr, House Resolution 773 by Representative Boozman, again 1168 by Representative Boozman. Those are all dealing with veterans' issues. Representative Cao of Veterans' Affairs, House Resolution 828; and H. Res. 398 by Representative Fortenberry, another one of my great Republican friends.
So if the gentleman wanted to complain and restrain his own Members from offering what I think are meritorious and deserving resolutions with respect to veterans and to the people of their own districts, that's a courtesy that I fully and fairly recognize and choose to honor, but if the gentleman wants to press with his desire to curtail--
Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. LYNCH. The gentleman has already exhausted his time to no apparent purpose. It would be an attack on common sense for me to yield to him at this time.
With that being said, Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to support Mr. Platts of Pennsylvania in his resolution, my Republican friend.
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